Harper’s $16 Million Question: What’s Our Legacy?

The amazing thing about satire is it makes us laugh, while simultaneously asking us to dig a little bit deeper. That is why when I watch these Greenpeace Canada ads, the first thing that comes to my mind in the midst of laughter is legacy.

Legacy: something left or handed down by a predecessor.

Throughout my years of working on the front-lines of the climate change PR battle, one question is consistently asked of me: how do you manage to stay motivated and energized while fighting such an uphill battle?

Like many other campaigners, for me it is a matter of legacy. As a young person, I was profoundly impacted by the actions of the non-violent White Rose society that emerged to resist the Nazi regime in Germany. This small group of young Germans stood up and actively opposed Hitler at the height of his power. It was White Rose that coined the phrase: "We will not be silent," which has become a moniker for many social justice movements. Today, members of the White Rose are honoured among Germany's greatest heroes.

When it comes to climate change, it is my refusal to stand silent in the face of injustice that drives me every day; it is my desire to create positive change; it is my love for family, friends, and life that drive me to tackle this incredible challenge. This is the legacy I am to leave.

We've hit a critical point in the climate change conversation here in North America. Global greenhouse gas emissions have breached 400 parts-per-million — a level climate scientists say is a tipping point for being able to reverse the trajectory and scale of climate change. If we continue on our current path, we'll surely regret it, they say.  

So, we must begin reducing emissions. But, the Canadian government continues to promote increasing the development of Alberta's tar sands, the world's largest mining project, and one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in the country. Indeed, emissions from the tar sands have tripled over the last 20 years. These emissions can be expected to further grow as planned tar sands production will double over the next 20 years.

Tar sands development, however, is dependent upon having a market for the oil derived from its bitumen.  In order to get the oil to the market demand, it must be transported from the mining site to refineries and then to consumers. Hence the Keystone XL, Northern Gateway, and Eastern Pipeline proposals. These pipelines pose major environmental threats in their own right, but also represent the door for increasing tar sands production.

Governments across the globe are aware of climate change and are considering ways to reduce emissions. That is why these pipeline proposals in North America have been so heavily scrutinized by municipal, provincial/state, and federal government bodies. The European Union, for example, is considering revamping its Fuel Quality Directive. The revised directive would force fuel suppliers to the transportation industry (commercial and personal) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions are to be calculated by looking at the entire lifecycle of the fuel, from "well to wheel," not just emissions coming from your tailpipe.

If this law passes, it would essentially eliminate Canadian tar sands from the European marketplace due to their high lifecycle emissions.

Stephen Harper knows the political and environmental climate is reaching a fever pitch. That is why his government has spent millions of dollars trying to convince Canadians, Americans, and Europeans the tar sands are environmentally friendly. His most recent effort is a $16.5 million TV ad campaign. The campaign's focus is to convince the general public in Canada and America that developing the tar sands is "environmentally responsible." The ad blitz will run throughout this year and will be paid for by Canadian tax dollars.

American political commentator, and former advisor to the Obama administration, Van Jones recently said if the president approves the Keystone XL pipeline, it will obliterate his credibility as a champion for climate change. If you remember, in his 2012 inauguration address, President Obama said, "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations." Van Jones asks the president, "what is the legacy you want to leave?"

We face the same question, each and everyone of us, individually and collectively. What is the legacy we want to leave as Canadians? Did we stand silent as our government misinformed us about the reality of the tar sands? Did we stand silent while our climate scientists told us the path we were walking was unsustainable?

Or, do we stand up, one-by-one to hold our elected officials accountable? Do we join those willing to challenge the status-quo and amplify their message?  

To stand silent or speak up: this is climate change's beckoning call.